Rating the Trade

Senators GM Bryan Murray was never going to get equal value for a 50-goal scorer and in Jonathan Cheechoo, 29, and Milan Michalek, 24, he gets a player in Cheechoo who had one outstanding year and has struggled to live up to level and a solid -- if pricey -- young player in Michalek.

Cheechoo had 56 goals and won the Maurice Richard Trophy in 2005-06, but has scored only 72 goals in the three seasons since (37-23-12). The Sharks were looking to get rid of him and his $3-million (all terms US) cap hit. Michalek, a solid 20-goal scorer, will be in the second year of a six-year deal with a cap hit of $4.33 million, which is clearly paying him on his potential. The Senators only saved $200,000 on the cap in the deal.

This trade already works from the Senators' standpoint in that they have removed the Heatley issue.

Cheechoo has to get back to the 30-goal range and Michalek has to increase his offensive output to justify his cap hit for this deal to come close to being a winner for the Senators.

The winner of this deal right now is the Sharks: They got a 50-goal scorer of questionable character, who, if he's happy and motivated, is one of the best scorers in the league. All they gave up was a guy they were trying to dump and a young player who may or may not live up to his paycheque.

AN NHL SCOUT'S TAKE: "A tough deal for Bryan Murray to make. Michalek is a good player. Cheechoo just hasn't been very good the last two years. Michalek is going to score 20 goals. The issue is always going to be that they gave up the best player and that's Dany Heatley. He'll go in there and burn it up. This could be the deal that defines Bryan Murray's career in Ottawa."